Recent funding grants given to LeHigh University mean the college’s friction and adhesion research department will continue to develop innovative solutions that could fuel tyre development. According to the University, Anand Jagota, professor and founding chair of Lehigh University’s bioengineering department, has arrived at a milestone in his 15 years of researching friction and adhesion.
Working together with a Japanese university, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) has established a new technique for observing materials contained within tyre rubber. This process differs from existing methods as it enables an evaluation of the actual rubber used in mass-produced tyres rather than relying upon processed test samples. The company behind the Falken tyre brand foresees the technique facilitating the development of tyres with superior performance characteristics.
A team of chemists at Canada’s McMaster University claim to have discovered an innovative way to break down and dissolve the rubber used in tyres. They believe their process could lead to more efficient methods of recycling.
The European Commission has approved 3.2 billion euros of battery research and development support under EU State aid rules. The funding comes as the result of an Important Project of Common European interest (IPCEI) application jointly notified by Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden to support research and innovation in the common European priority area of batteries.
CEOs of 11 leading tyre manufacturers met to review progress and confirm the ongoing mandate of the leading global forum for tyre manufacturers on sustainability issues – the Tire Industry Project.
Founded in 2005, the Tire Industry Project (TIP) is a global CEO-led initiative undertaken by leading tyre manufacturing companies to research potential human health and environmental impacts of tyres throughout their lifecycle. TIP operates under the umbrella of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and is co-chaired by Bridgestone, Goodyear, and Michelin.
Research on graphene rubber composites, conducted by Linglong Tire and Beijing University of Chemical Technology has been audited by the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, according to the tyre company.
Professor Richard Thompson OBE, who leads the International Marine Research Unit at the University of Plymouth, has questioned claims made by the Marine Conservation Society relating the role played by tyre wear in marine microplastic pollution.
In December Hankook Tire USA released its latest quarterly Gauge Index Survey. Regarding tyre technology it found that 73 per cent of Americans would like to see future tyres self-inflate as part of a smart self-regulating Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Further, 44 per cent of respondents expressed interest in a self-repairing tyre.
Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC)’s Dr Alan Muhr, who is Head of the Engineering Design Unit, has been awarded the Hancock Medal 2018 for his outstanding service to the rubber industry by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in London (IOM3) in London.
The Tyre Industry Federation (TIF), which represents the UK tyre industry on issues of common concern, has confirmed its support and participation in the Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ‘Call for evidence on brake, tyre and road surface wear’.
The results of joint research projects undertaken between Yokohama Rubber and two universities in Thailand since 2013 were announced at The International Polymer Conference of Thailand 2018 (PCT-8) in June. The joint research projects were conducted with researchers at Mahidol University and Prince of Songkla University and focused upon ensuring stable, reliable supplies of natural rubber.
Roads Minister Jesse Norman has announced the government is investing a reported £250,000 in the first publicly funded research into tyre ageing. On 1 March a Department for Transport statement said it has commissioned “independent scientific research which will provide a fuller picture on the safety of tyres as they get older”.
A partnership between WMG, at the University of Warwick, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and Coventry City Council has been awarded £80 million to establish a new National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility (NBMDF). The announcement was made by The Rt Hon Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, while attending an energy conference on the University of Warwick campus on Wednesday 29 November 2017.
Pirelli and the University of Milan have renewed a new three-year research deal signed by Marco Tronchetti Provera – Pirelli’s executive vice chairman and CEO – and Ferruccio Resta, rector of the Politecnico University. The original Joint Labs agreement dates back to 2011 with the aim of developing innovative tyre technology for the future.
Smithers’ “The Future of Global Truck Tires to 2027” research reports that the value of this sector will reach $107.6 billion in 2017. With year-on-year growth forecast at 3.5 per cent across the next decade, this will reach $152.4 billion in 2027. After adjusting for price and raw material fluctuations, gains in tyre manufacturing productivity, and then consumer potential of greater value adding features; volume consumption of all truck tires will increase at a rate of 3.2 per cent per year from 2017–2027.
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